Kings, Consuls, Dictators, Decemvirs, and ConsularTribunes.) "One is." "One is." (The form of government in the time of the Apostle John was Imperial; Emperors ruled.) "And the other is not yet come, and when he cometh he must continue a short space." (When the Empire was wounded unto death, the Papacy took the reins of government, stepping in gradually to take its place, and heal the wound, and soon, assuming full imperial functions, gave away kingdoms, and treated kings as vassals. It continued forty and two months, that is taking a day for a year-TWELVE HUNDRED AND SIXTY YEARS, when it likewise was compelled to resign the throne and give way to another power). "And the BEAST THAT WAS, AND IS NOT, even he is the eighth and is of the seven" (he does not seem to be of the seven; he is not called either Emperor, or Pope, or King, but he is in truth THE HEAD nevertheless).

But what have we here? A dynasty RISING INTO POWER; then PASSING AWAY; and then RISING AGAIN. As to this dynasty, we have but one word further. It is joined, like the Empire of old, by TEN KINGS, and they make war with the Lamb; and unite together also to consume the Papacy which they had supported. They conspire, in fact, to cast out of the world ALL RELIGION, except that idol-worship, THAT WORSHIP OF THE BEAST HIMSELF, which he will set up "in the temple of God,"

where he will show himself that "he is God;" and finally, having fulfilled his day like those who preceded him, he shall “GO INTO PERDITION" together with the “FALSE PROPHET" who will work miracles before him; to be followed in God's own good time by the remaining person of the antichristian trinity, THE DRAGON (SATAN), who must be reserved a little while, though bound, and by a lengthy bondage kept from carrying on his work of evil. Apart then from the help we might derive from the prophetic dates, we can perceive without much room for doubt, if any, from WHAT QUARTER We must look for the LAST KING; the Great Opponent of the Lord; the "Idol Shepherd;" the Great Deceiver; "the Antichrist." It is evident that he pertains to the EIGHTH DYNASTY OF THE ROMAN HEADSHIP; the dynasty which rose in 1793, and quickly established itself upon the ground long occupied by the Imperial Popes. But observe the remarkable fact, that this dynasty yielded up its power and "WAS NOT" in 1815— the British arms prevailing on the field of Waterloo,but which rose again-and so "YET WAS" in 1848, laying the old hand on Rome. Nevertheless, again the dynasty "WAS NOT" in 1870, and "IS NOT" still, nor shall be for a period, how long, God only knows, but again SHALL BE, that it may go into perdition. Therefore we may safely think we are not very far from THAT

GREAT DAY, WHEN EVERY BELIEVER SHALL BEHOLD HIS LORD.

But now there is another point which we must notice, before we quit this subject of the reign of Antichrist. I mean, HIS DEALINGS WITH THE JEWISH PEOPLE, of whose restoration we were led to speak particularly in the earlier part of this chapter.

We must refer once more to DANIEL'S prophecy. Much difference has arisen among prophetical interpreters concerning the SEVENTY WEEKS spoken of in the ninth chapter. It is said "SEVENTY WEEKS are determined upon thy people, and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy." Observe this carefully, "Seventy weeks" (taking, as the necessity of the case obliges, a day for a year; equal therefore to four hundred and ninety years) "are determined" ( cut off, divided) "upon thy people" (Daniel's people, the Jews), "and upon thy holy city" (Jerusalem), “to finish" ( shut up, restrain) "the transgression" (i.e., of thy people and city), "and to make an end of" (onn to seal up) "sins, and to make reconciliation for" (5 to cover) "iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and the

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prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy," (op WTP Whether this expression refers to the "Holy of Holies" in the Temple, or to the Messiah Himself, does not appear certain; but it is only right to state that if it have reference to the Messiah, it is the only case in which this expression, which is used in nearly thirty places in the Old Testament, is applied to a person).

Now we know well that scarcely any of these points can yet be looked upon as fulfilled. The transgression of the Jews is not by any means restrained, shut up, or finished: for they reject the Lord as firmly as they ever did, and as truly do they glory in denying Him. Their sins are not sealed up, nor made an end of, but they are as patent to all the world as are the sins of the Gentiles. Reconciliation truly is offered, because the atonement is complete through the sacrifice of Christ, but it is not made. There is not reconciliation yet between the Lord and Israel: their iniquity is not covered, though the covering is all in readiness. Everlasting righteousness is not brought in amongst the tribes of Israel, for hitherto they have made choice of sin. The vision and prophecy are not yet fulfilled, nor sealed, but open, as of old, to the expectation of God's waiting people. The Holy of Holies is not yet anointed, for their temple is not yet erected. So I CANNOT THINK, with some interpreters, that the SEVENTY WEEKS HAVE YET EXPIRED. But let

H

...

us follow onward with the subject. "Know therefore and understand," said the angel, "that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and rebuild Jerusalem unto Messiah the Prince, shall be seven weeks and threescore and two weeks" (that is, four hundred and eighty-three years, taking, as before, a day to represent a year), "And after threescore and two weeks SHALL MESSIAH BE CUT OFF, BUT NOT FOR HIMSELF." This brings us to a definite period— the cutting off of Messiah: the crucifixion of our Lord. What then was to follow? The Word continues, " And the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary." Now we know that the people who destroyed Jerusalem and its Temple were ROMANS. THE PRINCE REFERRED TO WAS THEREFORE TO BE A ROMAN ALSO. But further it is said-" And the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined." And it was SO ASSUREDLY. But here the matter has been resting ever since. The war ended in the dispersion of the sons of Judah till the times of the Gentiles should be fulfilled. But with the Gentiles, nay, with Christians (as such), this prophecy has nothing whatever to do. The seventy weeks were determined upon Daniel's people-the Jews-and no other. In looking, therefore, for the remaining week—THE LAST OF THE SEVENTY-We must keep our eyes upon